1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a catalytic converter warm-up control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle.
2. Discussion of the Background
Examples of known related-art hybrid-vehicle catalytic converter warm-up control apparatuses include one disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-93372. Such a hybrid vehicle includes a power source which includes an internal combustion engine and a first motor, and further includes a purifying catalytic converter for purifying an exhaust gas discharged from the engine. In such a catalytic converter warm-up control apparatus, a catalytic converter temperature sensor detects a temperature of the purifying catalytic converter. If a predetermined warm-up condition is satisfied, for example, the detected temperature of the catalytic converter is less than or equal to a predetermined temperature, a catalytic converter warm-up operation for activating the purifying catalytic converter is executed.
During the catalytic converter warm-up operation, when depression of an accelerator pedal is released, deceleration fuel cut for stopping supply of fuel to the engine is executed and the number of revolutions of the engine is controlled to be less than or equal to the upper limit. Thus, during the deceleration fuel cut, the purifying catalytic converter is prevented from decreasing in temperature and purifying capacity due to supply of a large quantity of air which is not subjected to combustion as the engine is motored by the first motor.